ljósta

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse ljósta, from Proto-Germanic *leustaną.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈljousta/
    Rhymes: -ousta

Verb

ljósta (strong verb, third-person singular past indicative laust, third-person plural past indicative lustu, supine lostið)

  1. (somewhat archaic or poetic) to hit, to strike
    Eldingu laust niður í fánastöngina í óveðrinu í gærkvöld.
    Lightning struck through the flagpole in the storm yesterday evening.

Usage notes

This verb is somewhat archaic or poetic, and its use in everyday language is mostly limited to references to lightning strikes and the set phrases skelfingu lostinn (horror-stricken), and steini lostinn (awestruck, stone-stricken).

Conjugation

ljósta – active voice (germynd)
infinitive nafnháttur ljósta
supine sagnbót lostið
present participle
ljóstandi
indicative
subjunctive
present
past
present
past
singular ég lýst laust ljósti lysti
þú lýstur laust ljóstir lystir
hann, hún, það lýstur laust ljósti lysti
plural við ljóstum lustum ljóstum lystum
þið ljóstið lustuð ljóstið lystuð
þeir, þær, þau ljósta lustu ljósti lystu
imperative boðháttur
singular þú ljóst (þú), ljóstu
plural þið ljóstið (þið), ljóstiði1
1 Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.
lostinn — past participle (lýsingarháttur þátíðar)
strong declension
(sterk beyging)
singular (eintala) plural (fleirtala)
masculine
(karlkyn)
feminine
(kvenkyn)
neuter
(hvorugkyn)
masculine
(karlkyn)
feminine
(kvenkyn)
neuter
(hvorugkyn)
nominative
(nefnifall)
lostinn lostin lostið lostnir lostnar lostin
accusative
(þolfall)
lostinn lostna lostið lostna lostnar lostin
dative
(þágufall)
lostnum lostinni lostnu lostnum lostnum lostnum
genitive
(eignarfall)
lostins lostinnar lostins lostinna lostinna lostinna
weak declension
(veik beyging)
singular (eintala) plural (fleirtala)
masculine
(karlkyn)
feminine
(kvenkyn)
neuter
(hvorugkyn)
masculine
(karlkyn)
feminine
(kvenkyn)
neuter
(hvorugkyn)
nominative
(nefnifall)
lostni lostna lostna lostnu lostnu lostnu
accusative
(þolfall)
lostna lostnu lostna lostnu lostnu lostnu
dative
(þágufall)
lostna lostnu lostna lostnu lostnu lostnu
genitive
(eignarfall)
lostna lostnu lostna lostnu lostnu lostnu

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *leustaną.

Verb

ljósta (singular past indicative laust, plural past indicative lustu, past participle lostinn)

  1. to strike, smite
  2. to strike, hit (with a spear, arrow)
  3. (impersonal)
    laust í bardaga með þeim mikinn
    it came to a great battle between them

Conjugation

Conjugation of ljósta — active (strong class 2)
infinitive ljósta
present participle ljóstandi
past participle lostinn
indicative subjunctive
present past present past
1st person singular lýst laust ljósta lysta
2nd person singular lýstr laustt ljóstir lystir
3rd person singular lýstr laust ljósti lysti
1st person plural ljóstum lustum ljóstim lystim
2nd person plural ljóstið lustuð ljóstið lystið
3rd person plural ljósta lustu ljósti lysti
imperative present
2nd person singular ljóst
1st person plural ljóstum
2nd person plural ljóstið
Conjugation of ljósta — mediopassive (strong class 2)
infinitive ljóstask
present participle ljóstandisk
past participle lostizk
indicative subjunctive
present past present past
1st person singular ljóstumk lustumk ljóstumk lystumk
2nd person singular lýszk lauszk ljóstisk lystisk
3rd person singular lýszk lauszk ljóstisk lystisk
1st person plural ljóstumsk lustumsk ljóstimsk lystimsk
2nd person plural ljóstizk lustuzk ljóstizk lystizk
3rd person plural ljóstask lustusk ljóstisk lystisk
imperative present
2nd person singular ljószk
1st person plural ljóstumsk
2nd person plural ljóstizk

Descendants

  • Icelandic: ljósta
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lystre
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ljostra
  • Swedish: ljustra

Further reading

  • Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “ljósta”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive